ENGLEWOOD – Students in the biotechnology program at the Miami Valley Career Technology Center have the opportunity to earn the Bioscience Lab Skills one-year certificate from Sinclair Community College.

This certification allows them to gain essential hands-on experiences to prepare them for future careers in the biotechnology fields, including medicine, agriculture and pharmaceutical manufacturing while earning college credits.

Currently, the Class of 2019 is working to develop independent research projects using skills and knowledge learned during their junior year. Research topics include a behavioral study on C. elegans, the role of vitamins in plant growth, development of biofuels for use in an RC car, understanding the role of food sources on jellyfish coloring and CRISPR. Projects will be presented at Sinclair’s Tech Prep Showcase in the spring.

Juniors in the Class of 2020 are in full swing learning about the field of microbiology. Students get experience on how to make and pour agar plates, culture samples from the environment and characterize unknown samples of bacteria.

The next unit will be learning about DNA structure and analysis. Combining knowledge of DNA and microbiology, students will learn how to transform bacteria so that it expresses green fluorescent protein, causing the bacteria to glow bright green.

Insulin, the first biotechnology product approved for human use, is made through a similar technique. This lab will help the biotech students learn about drug development and manufacturing.

People who want to learn more about the biotechnology program at MVCTC can check out www.mvctc.com/bt and follow the program on social media at @mvctcbiotech.

Biotechnology students are members of HOSA-Future Health Professionals, an organization that empowers students to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration and experience.

MVCTC is located in Englewood and serves 27 area high schools in five southwestern Ohio counties (Montgomery, Warren, Preble, Darke and Miami).

The career technical programs at MVCTC are designed to teach students skills relevant to their career goals while maintaining challenging academic classes and building relationships with classmates, instructors and business leaders to help them be successful. The opportunities available at MVCTC prepare students for the workforce and college and allow them to graduate with thousands of dollars toward their college education.

For more information on the opportunities offered at MVCTC, visit www.mvctc.com.